Tournament Rules

Set Length

All tournament sets will be a best-of-3 games, until a top cut where games are extended to best-of-5 games. The recommended top cut is 3.125%, for example, the top 32 in a 1024 entrant bracket, or the top 16 in a 512 entrant bracket.

Set Procedure

Players select their characters. Either player may elect to do Double Blind Character Selection (see section 1.4) Use Starter Stage Striking to determine the first stage The players play the first game of the set Winning player of the preceding game strikes 2 stages (when applicable).The losing player of the preceding game picks a stage for the next game The winning player of the preceding game may choose to change characters. The losing player of the preceding game may choose to change characters. The next game is played. Repeat Steps 4 through 8 for all subsequent games until the set is complete.

Stage Agreement Clause

Players may select any LEGAL stage if they both agree on it. Players may not play on illegal stages or change the length of a set. If this is violated, both players will be subject to complete disqualification from the event.

Double Blind Character Selection

Either player may request that a double blind selection occur. In this situation, a referee or third party will be told, in secret, of each player’s choices for the first round. Both players are to then select their first round character, with the referee validating the character selections.

Stage Striking

Players play a best-of-1 Rock-Paper-Scissors, and winner may choose to either strike a stage first or select a port first. Stages are stuck in a P1-P2-P2-P1 order.

Pausing

Pause setting should be off. However, if it is not, pausing is only legal while either player remains upon their OWN respawn platform, and only for the purpose of summoning a tournament official or in the case of a controller malfunction. All other pauses will incur a stock loss to the player who pauses the game. If the pause causes the opponent to lose a stock, the player who pauses forfeits 2 stocks.

Stalling

Stalling, or intentionally making the game unplayable, is banned and at the discretion of tournament staff. Stalling includes but is not limited to becoming invisible, continuing infinites past 300%, and reaching a position that your opponent can never reach you. Stalling will result in a forfeit of the game for the player that initiated the action.

Self-Destruct Moves

If a game ends with a self-destruct move, the results screen will determine the winner. If a sudden death occurs, standard sudden death rules apply (see 1.9).

Sudden Death

If a game goes to Sudden Death, the winner is determined by stocks and percentage at the time the game ends. If both players are tied in stocks the player with the lower percentage is the winner. In the event of a percentage tie, or a game in which both players lose their last stock simultaneously, a 1 stock tiebreaker will be played with a 3 minute time limit. The results of an in-game 300% Sudden Death do not count. If Sudden Death occurs in a Sudden Death game, this process is repeated.

Stock Sharing

Taking a partner’s stock is allowed in doubles.

“Grab and Go” Clause

In doubles, players may not switch controllers with their teammate.

Missing Teammate Clause

If a player’s teammate is not present for a game, the match may not continue until their teammate arrives. They may not play a 2v1 or play with a CPU.

Alting

You will be immediately disqualified from the tournament with no refunds if you are found using an alternate tag/tags and/or hide your identity to manipulate the bracket/seeding. The only exception to this rule is if the player notifies a TO before prior to the registration end date.

Character Color/Team Color Selection

If there is a dispute in character colors or team colors (i.e. both players want to use green fox), the players will play one RPS game to determine who gets the color.

Team Color Clause

When in Doubles play, players must choose character costumes that are similar to their team color. Example: 2 ROB players on red team would use the Red Rob and the Rob with red arms. In the case of a character that doesn’t have a color option (Example: there is no blue fox color), we recommend those teams use a color that is available to that character.

Team Color Request Clause

Players may request that their opponent change colors to accommodate colorblindness or if their color is indistinguishable from either the other team color or the stage background. The request must be made before the game starts. Example: Request Cloud to pick green team to be able to distinguish if limit is charged, or having sonic on blue team to prevent confusion.

Warm-ups

Warm-up periods, button checks, and “handwarmers” may not exceed 30 seconds on the game clock. Violation of this rule may result in an automatic forfeit at the discretion of the TO.

Counterpicking

Each Player is designated 30 seconds between each game to notify their opponent of their counterpick. If no counterpick is selected in this time frame, a judge should be engaged and the counterpicking player will receive a game loss.

Coaching Violations

Coaching is not permitted during the duration of a tournament set. If coaching occurs during this window, they will receive penalties as outlined below:

Cheering

Nondescript statements such as “Lets Go!”, “You got this!”, or “mess them up!”. These are not violations.

Minor violation

General statements such as “Play Slow”, “Take your time” or “Hit him!”

Major violation

Specific statements pointing out habits, specific options, or timings such as “Watch for his neutral getup!”, “His waft is almost ready!” or “He keeps rolling!”

Severe violation

Physical interference to either player.

Tournament Staff reserve the right to judge on what is deemed “coaching” and the severity of the violation.

Tardiness

Anyone who is not present for their set by 5 minutes past the scheduled start time is subject to a game loss. By 10 minutes, they will receive a set loss.

Collusion

Players suspected of colluding may be immediately disqualified from the tournament. This includes intentionally throwing a game, splitting a payout, or committing any other form of bracket manipulation. The TO reserves the right to deny payout of event winnings to any player suspected of colluding.

Misinterpretation/Misconfiguration

Games or sets are not to be replayed due to a misinterpretation of the rules OR misconfiguration of game settings. Game settings should be configured according to section 2.1. It is the players’ responsibilities to ask the TO for any clarification of the rule set in the event of a disagreement, and the outcome of a game or set will not be changed after the fact unless under extreme circumstances, judgment reserved for tournament staff.

Final Rulings

If any unforeseen situations occur, judgment of Tournament Staff is final. Rules may be altered between phases of a tournament in the best interests of the event. (Example: A game breaking glitch is discovered on a stage mid tournament that could be exploited. Thus, the stage may need to be removed from legal play for the remainder of the event.)

Disruptions

If you feel someone in the venue is being disruptive you may ask them nicely to stop. If they do not, you may wait between the next game to tell tournament staff. YOU MAY NOT yell or make any hostile actions towards them. Tournament staff will determine if the person is being disruptive. If they are determined to be disruptive, the person will be issued a warning. If continues after the warning, they will be DQ'd or Ejected at the tournament staffs discretion.

B. Game Rules

Game Settings

Stock and time are set to 3 stock and 8 minutes for Singles and Doubles

Handicap: Off

Team Attack: On

Damage Ratio: 1.0x

Items: Off and None

Pause: Off

Hazard Toggle: Off

Mii: All moveset combination are legal

Stage List

Battlefield*

Final Destination**

Pokemon Stadium 2

Smashville

Town & City

    Counterpick

Kalos Pokemon League

Unova Pokemon League

• Battlefield variations of the stages are allowed in place of Battlefield.

** Omega variations of the stages are allowed in place of Final Destination.

The following stages are not allowed for Battlefield and Omega variations due to the changing in the Z Axis:

Dream Land GB

Flatzone X

Hanebow

Mario Maker

Mute City SNES

Pac-Land

Duck Hunt

Additional Rules

Starter Stage Striking

See section 1.5 for details on choosing who strikes first. Players may strike from the legal stages (each person strikes stages in a 1-2-1 format) to determine the starting stage for the first game. If battlefield or final destination is chosen and both parties agree, a variant can be used.

Counterpick Stage Striking

After each game of the set, before counterpicking, the player who won the previous game may strike two stages from the starter list. This strike does not persist throughout the set. If final destination or battlefield is chosen as a counterpick, a variant may be chosen by the loser of the previous game.

Controllers

For ease of access, Tournament Staff recommends the use of the Nintendo Gamecube controller, however, The Switch Pro controller (wired) and Joy cons are all permitted control options. Turbo/Macro options on controllers are banned. Box variants of the gcc are currently permitted so long as they do not have macros/turbo enabled.

Controller Interference

If your controller is found to be the cause of disruption to the tournament (mid-game or otherwise), you are subject to complete disqualification from the event.

Mii Fighter Clause

Mii Fighters must be created using Guest Miis and their name should contain the moves being used in the format ‘xxxx’. Any combination of moves may be used, but once a player has selected a Special Move Set for a specific Mii Fighter type (Brawler/Swordfighter/Gunner) that Set must be paired with that Fighter type for the remainder of the set.